Working Words Collective

Ursula Hurley

The Working Words Collective is the Creative Writing Interest Group for the Cultures of Class network. We bring together anyone interested in reading, writing, or sharing stories—individuals, community groups, writers, and practitioners—to recognise and connect creative work shaped by a wide range of experiences and backgrounds. Working with the Northern School of Writing and the English Research Centre at the University of Salford, we offer an open and supportive space to explore how class and creativity meet. Through workshops, conversations, and collaborative projects, we aim to build a lively, welcoming community that values storytelling as a powerful way to understand ourselves and the world.

Ursula Hurley is Professor of Life Writing at the University of Salford and a widely published, award-winning creative writer with an international profile in applied research and socially engaged practice. Her work explores feminist life writing, digital technologies, and inclusive auto/biographical expression, including collaborative projects that combine poetic practice and digital fabrication. She is the author of In the Making: Digital Fabrication and Disability (Vernon Press, 2020). She was the founding Director of the University’s Doctoral School, and she currently serves as Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Co-lead for the School of Arts, Media and Creative Technology.